The Management of Dambai College of Education, on behalf of the Governing Council, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Ada College of Education for both colleges to work together as teacher education institutions. The brief but momentous event, which was organised in a grand style, took place on 15th July, 2020 at Dambai College of Education Conference Room. The ceremony, which started at 1:40 p.m. with an opening prayer from Rev. Godwin Gbadagba of Dambai College of Education, witnessed representatives from both colleges led by their Principals.
In declaring the purpose of the gathering, the host Principal, Dr. (Mrs.) Benedicta Awusi Atiku first of all, welcomed all and sundry to the landmark event. She also spent few minutes to inform the gathering about the exclusive arrangements made by the host college for all participants to observe the COVID-19 protocol.
Turning to the main issue, Dr. (Mrs.) Benedicta Awusi Atiku explained that collaboration, which is mandated by the Act of Colleges of Education, matters a lot in tertiary education because it establishes strong ties among various agencies and training institutions. She added that as practitioners, it was not out of place to collaborate for quality teacher training. According to her, the historic signing of an MoU between the two colleges stemmed from a prior discussion on the subject in the last quarter of 2019.
Expressing his views on the subject, Mr. Cephas Kwasi Bodakpui, the Principal of Ada College of Education, corroborated what Mrs. Benedicta Awusi Atiku had said. Besides, he emphasised that translating the earlier communiqué between the two colleges into signing of an MoU meant that in human life, we learn from one another, and this can only be made possible through collaboration. He further indicated that the process looked a bit simple but it was a binding document, describing it as a nice journey of experience through which both colleges hoped to move forward as partners.
With these assurances from the Principals, the Acting Secretaries of both colleges (Mr. Wumbei G. K. Charles of Dambai CoE and Mr. Amevor Asiwowe of Ada CoE) subsequently led the House to scrutinize the contents of the MoU documents. Being satisfied with all the terms and conditions of the agreement, the reps of both colleges formalised the MoU by signing the documents. The signatories to the MoU included the Principals of both colleges, the Vice Principal of Dambai College of Education, the Academic Affairs Officer of Ada College of Education, who represented their Vice Principal, and the Acting Secretaries of both Colleges.
Commenting on the signed MoU, the Vice Principal of Dambai CoE, Mr. Frank Awuah said the opportunity was opened from that moment for both colleges to collaborate in research and publication as well to enhance academic work. He explicated that the process had formalised the relationship between the two academic institutions. On behalf of Dambai CoE staff, Mr. Frank Awuah expressed gratitude to the Principals of both colleges as well as their representatives. The Acting Secretary of Ada College of Education, Mr. Amevor Asiwowe also advised that the projects undertaken by both colleges for the T-TEL Challenge Fund should be preserved and shared as best practices between the two institutions.
In her closing remarks, the host Principal, Mrs. Benedicta Awusi Atiku thanked everyone present. She added that the society is a living thing full of needs; as such, when the human capital is developed, the society also develops easily. She expounded that tertiary institutions have the ability to develop the intellect; for that matter, the journey being embarked on by both colleges would head in the right direction. Mrs. Benedicta Awusi Atiku finally indicated that the dream stage of signing the historic MoU was over, and the two colleges needed to quickly identify the best practices for adoption to improve academic work in both institutions.
All told, the milestone event, which ended at 2:30 p.m. with a closing prayer from Madam Eunice Osei-Asibey (the Academic Affairs Officer) of Ada College of Education, was a great accomplishment that will remain indelible in the annals of the two teacher education institutions.
Source: DACE ICT Centre
